1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mobile radio terminal for a digital cellular radio communication system, which makes efficient use of a radio resource, a method for the efficient use of bandwidth for mobile radio services, particularly, multimedia radio services, and a digital cellular radio communication system including a number of said mobile radio terminals.
2. Discussion of the Background
Known digital cellular radio communication systems, such as, for example, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), or Digital Cellular System 1800 MHZ (DCS 1800), include a number of base stations, each serving a number of mobile radio terminals and being connected to a public telephone network, i.e. a fixed network, the functionality of each mobile radio terminal being determined by a software program located therein. The manner in which systems, such as GSM and DCS 1800, are generally operated and controlled, is well known to persons skilled in the art and will not, therefore, be dealt with in any great detail in this patent specification. The nature and scope of the present invention will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art from the following description of various aspects of the invention.
In practice, a multimedia service normally consists of a number of functions, for example, audio, data and video, and each of these functions can produce a varying flow of data and make different demands on a carrier service. If the carrier service uses a radio based access to a transport network, then a situation will arise where a multimedia service, with a strongly varying need for transmission capacity, will have to use a carrier service which cannot guarantee a required capacity and/or quality. In addition, the capacity and/or quality of the carrier service can also be subject to variation. Furthermore, the radio medium is a limited resource and it is, therefore, very important that this resource should be used in an efficient manner.
Thus, if a multimedia service cannot be editions on a radio medium, a mobile multimedia service will:
be of poor quality because variations in the capacity and/or quality of the carrier network will result in strongly varying service quality; and
consume an unreasonably large part of the radio resource, i.e. the number of users having simultaneous access will be extremely limited, and as a consequence of this, the service will become very expensive, thereby making it less attractive (i.e. uninteresting) to the great majority of users.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile radio terminal which makes efficient use of a radio resource, thereby making a mobile service and, in particular, a mobile multimedia service, more attractive to users.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for the efficient use of bandwidth for mobile radio services, particularly, multimedia radio services.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mobile radio communication system including a mobile radio terminal which makes efficient use of a radio resource.
The present invention provides a mobile radio terminal for a digital cellular radio communication system including a number of base stations connected to a public network, each of the base stations being adapted to serve a number of mobile radio terminals, characterized in that the mobile radio terminal includes:
negotiation means for initial negotiation with a service provider for the provision of a service application required by a terminal user;
control means for dynamically controlling:
individual elements of the service application;
interactions between said individual elements; and
interactions between the service application and a carrier network; and
code division access means for enabling different users to share a radio resource.
The code division access means may use CDMA, or COFDM.
The mobile radio terminal may include a radio data modem for transmitting and receiving data for the service application, the data modem including an access function for controlling access to the carrier network and a mobile user terminal interactively connected to the data modem, the mobile user terminal including terminal user means adapted to enable a user to specify and control a required service application; in that the negotiation means are adapted to negotiate a service goal with the service provider which satisfies the user requirements; in that a service function of the mobile user terminal is adapted, on completion of the negotiation, to request the access function to establish a radio data channel connection to the service provider, which makes it possible to achieve the service goal; and in that the radio data modem is adapted, during provision of the required service, to dynamically coordinate and control the service application by ensuring that the radio data channel continues to make it possible to achieve the service goal.
The mobile radio terminal may include a radio data modem for transmitting and receiving information data, the data modem being adapted to utilize a radio resource to accommodate different service applications and including an access function for controlling access by the mobile radio terminal, to a carrier network, and a data flow control function for the data modem; and a mobile user terminal including a control function for specifying and controlling a service application required by a terminal user a service function for establishing the service application and negotiating a service goal, with a provider of the required service application, which satisfies the user requirements, in that the service function is adapted, on completion of the negotiation, to request the access function to establish a radio data channel connection to the service provider, which makes it possible to achieve the service goal; and in that the radio data modem is adapted, during provision of the required service, to dynamically coordinate and control the service application by ensuring that the radio data channel continues to make it possible to achieve the service goal.
The service goal may specify the type and quality of the service (QoS) available from a service provider, and the achievement of the service goal may be determined by the QoS provided by the established radio data channel. The QoS may be determined by demands imposed by the service application.
The service provider may include the service functions in a fixed network and/or the service functions belonging to another user of the digital cellular radio communication system.
In accordance with the invention, the data modem, in the event that the required QoS for achievement of the service goal cannot be met, is informed of the maximum QoS that can be offered, the mobile user terminal is informed by the data modem. of the offered QoS and, on receipt of the information concerning a restricted QoS, is adapted to optimize the service application on the basis of the offered QoS.
Also, in the event that the data modem receives information concerning an improved QoS, the mobile user terminal is informed of the improvement and, on receipt of the information concerning an improved QoS, optimizes the service application on the basis of the improvement.
The negotiation means may be adapted to renegotiate the service goal during provision of the service application and the renegotiation of the service goal may result in an extension of the service application.
In a preferred arrangement for the mobile radio terminal, the service application is a multimedia application and the individual elements of the multimedia application may be video, audio and data.
The individual elements of the service application may be allotted resource frames containing the maximum allowable bandwidth that may be used for a respective element of the service application, and how much bandwidth may be used, on average, by the element may be allotted resource frames containing, for each individual element of the service application, the maximum allowable bandwidth that may be used for a respective element of the service application, and how much bandwidth may be used, on average, by the respective element of the service application.
The resource frames may contain the quality requirements of respective elements of the service application and may be associated with a multimedia application.
The present invention also provides a method for the efficient use of bandwidth for mobile radio services provided by a digital cellular radio communication system including a number of mobile user terminals, each having a radio data modem for transmitting and receiving information data on a radio channel, and a number of base stations connected to a public network, each of the base stations being adapted to serve a number of mobile terminals, the method being characterized by the steps of:
a user of a mobile terminal specifying a required service application;
said mobile terminal initiating the establishment of a service application, on the basis of said user requirements, and negotiating a service goal, which satisfies said user requirements, with a provider of the required service application;
the mobile terminal, on completion of the service goal negotiation, establishing a radio data channel between a respective radio data modem and the service provider, which makes it possible to achieve the service goal, the radio modem being adapted to utilize the radio resource to accommodate different service applications; and
the data modem, during provision of the required service, dynamically coordinating and controlling the service application by ensuring that the radio data channel continues to make it possible to achieve the service goal.
In accordance with the method, the service goal may specify the type and quality of the service available from a service provider, and the service provider may include the service functions in a fixed network and/or the service functions belonging to another user of the digital cellular radio communication system.
In accordance with the method, the service goal may be determined by the QoS provided by the established radio data channel, and the QoS may be determined by demands imposed by the service application.
The method may include the steps of:
in the event that the required QoS for achievement of the service goal cannot be met, said data modem is informed of the maximum QoS that has been offered;
said mobile terminal is informed by said data modem of the offered QoS; and
the mobile terminal, on receipt of the information concerning a restricted QoS, is adapted to optimize the service application, on the basis of the offered QoS.
Optimization of the service application, on the basis of the offered QoS may, according to the invention, include the step of prioritizing individual elements of the service application, the prioritization resulting in a deterioration of the quality of at least one of the elements, and/or temporary deactivation of at least one other of the elements.
The method may include the steps of:
in the event that the data modem receives information concerning an improved QoS, said mobile terminal is informed of the improvement; and
the mobile terminal, on receipt of the information concerning an improved QoS, optimizes the service application on the basis of the improvement.
Optimization of the service application, on the basis of the improved QoS may, according to the invention, include the step of prioritizing individual elements of the service application, the prioritization resulting in the quality of at least one of the elements being improved and/or activation of at least one other of the elements.
The method may include the step of renegotiating the service goal, during provision of the service application, and such renegotiation of the service goal may result in an extension of the service application.
In a preferred method, the service application is a multimedia application and the individual elements of the multimedia application include video, audio and data.
The method may include the steps of allotting resource frames to the individual elements of the service application, each resource frame containing the maximum allowable bandwidth that may be used for a respective element of the service application, and how much bandwidth may be used, on average, by said respective element of the service application.
The method may include the steps of allotting resource frames to the radio data modem, said resource frames containing, for each element of the service application, the maximum allowable bandwidth that may be used for the said element, and how much bandwidth may be used, on average, by the said element.
The resource frames may contain the quality requirements of respective elements of the service application and may be associated with a multimedia application.
The method may use code division access, for example, CDMA, or COFDM, to enable different users to share a radio resource.
The invention further provides a digital cellular radio communication system including a number of mobile radio terminals and a number of base stations connected to a public network, each of the base stations being adapted to serve a number of mobile radio terminals, characterized in that each of the mobile radio terminals are provided by a mobile radio terminal as outlined in preceding paragraphs.
The invention further provides a mobile radio terminal for a digital cellular radio communication system including a number of base stations connected to a public network, each of the base stations being adapted to serve a number of mobile radio terminals, characterized in that the mobile radio terminal is adapted to effect efficient use of a radio resource and includes a service function for optimizing a service application required by a terminal user on the basis of a service goal and existing bandwidth of a radio data channel; a radio data modem including an access function for dynamically controlling the radio data channel to provide a connection which makes it possible to achieve the service goal, and a data flow function for power control, channel encoding and code division of the radio data channel, the access function interacting with the service function; and resource management means for managing the interaction between the service and access functions.
The resource management means may include first management means for control of resources used by elements of the service application, the resources being associated with control of the data flow function of the radio data modem, and the service application, and in that the control is effected by a local application.
The resource management means may include second management means for control of said radio resource, said radio resource being associated with control of the data flow function of said radio data modem to enable momentary use, by said radio data modem, of the bandwidth needed on said radio data channel, and in that said control is effected by allocation of resource frames to said radio data modem.